Criticism of Celtic’s record developing homegrown talent is wide of the mark. Our contribution to the national side in recent years proves that…
Celtic being successful and solidifying our place as the number one side in the country, whilst the media darlings favouring the Ibrox new club go into free fall means only one thing, it’s time to look at the negatives where it comes to Celtic.
That negative arrived in the form of our lack of success at grassroots level. Whilst the accusation that we are failing to give youth a chance has some merit, it’s also a rather wide of the mark.
Yes we may not be producing players capable of becoming first team regulars at the moment, but our record in that department is not as bad as it’s being portrayed.
Just look at the Scottish national team at the present moment. Kieran Tierney is an important part of the national set up, as is young Ben Doak who also came through our youth ranks before deciding to continue his career at Liverpool.
Tony Ralston who has become a regular under Steve Clarke recently is of course also a product of our youth system, whilst in years gone by Callum McGregor and James Forrest were important players in the national side.
There’s also David Marshall whose save in the penalty shoot out in Serbia seen Scotland qualify for their first major tournament in over two decades.
There’s also many other examples to be had of players who haven’t made the cut at Celtic Park but went on to have decent careers and even contributed at international level.
Yes our record of producing homegrown talent may not be as good as we would like, but it’s hardy the worst. We do our bit for the game in Scotland, despite the accusations levelled at us Scotland’s biased and bitter hacks.
Ben Doak, Rocco Vata and Daniel Kelly were all targeted by English sides over the past few seasons and Celtic tried but failed to keep them at the club after they were developed at the Celtic Academy. All three players rejected good offers and Ange Postecoglou and then Brendan Rodgers did all that they could to persuade these young players to remain at Celtic.
All three opted to go to England, just as Kieran Tierney did later in his career and Celtic recouped £25m on developing him into a top class player.
Celtic’s current system means that all five substitutes will be used and the first job of the manager is to win the games. He cannot be faulted for the way he has set about doing just that in 2024. Celtic is the best team in Scotland and this is a team with growth ahead not decline. The bar is high for young players and that is what they have to strive for if they are going to break into the team.
Ideally Brendan will start having young players on the bench on merit and game time will hopefully follow. But it must be achieved on merit and merit alone, not a box ticking exercise to shut up some hacks. They’d just find fault in Celtic in some other way.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Sorry but that is just nonsense. That a club of our size is unable to feed our own first team is an abject failure and has been for years. It may be that there is just not the young talent around but what there is should be attracted to the biggest and most successful club and once there coached and developed like the players we end up having to buy in from abroad – which include ordinary ones like Holm, Yang, Oh and Palma. Why do we need to go to Argentina to get a left back like Bernabai. We produce players like Ralston, Welsh and Mikey who are all decent but not good enough to be first picks. Then there are the Kelly, Vata and the like who end up not getting on the bench even and disappear to England and in many cases obscurity. Our B team cant win teh B League or even the Glasgow Cup against impoverished rivals.
Imagine a commercial business our size had a research and development department that was there to introduce and develop new product to take the business forward. It produces nothing of note and the company is forced to buy in from elsewhere. Heads would roll or that department would be shut down. To be fair there may be another reason for the academy and 25 odd coaches. It might be helpful therefore if the club could tell us how much money the Development side generate for the club by sales of players they have developed – does it provide a profit against the cost. Like everyone I am delighted with where the club are and what they have achieved – especially in recent times – but we can’t delude ourselves that we have a fantastic youth development system.
I have to disagree with your article. Half a dozen making in to the first team, in the last ten years or so, is a very poor return on the huge investment, the Academy.
Like the previous comment, I’d like to see the financials from the Academy, it just can’t possible be a good investment. I also agree that we have certainly bought some very average players, from all over the world, instead of developing our own. And why, when we do get some real talent, we lose them to English and European clubs. Could it be because they never get a game and have to watch the likes of Yang, Holm, Oh etc?
Project signings show our youth players there is very little chance at Celtic. That’s the model unfortunately. Let’s add to that the treatment of “our own” as the club expect them to sign regardless due to them being Celtic fans. Kelly was made to sign a non disclosure prior to leaving due to his mistreatment. Cummings will be next!
Respectfully they see Welsh and Ralston sitting on the bench week in week out to compliment our home grown rule.
We keep boys who never will be first team players for that very reason around home-grown and to be able to field a team in a terrible league that is the Lowland.
It’s painful to see and read these articles that back up the club for the mismanagement of players that could have went on to have decent careers at our club. Nicholson and Co should be ashamed.
Opinions on The Celtic Star are always the author’s own. We are always happy to publish alternative views and you might fancy expanding on the very valid points you make and we’ll happily publish. Yours would probably be the more popular view but that doesn’t mean that he original article isn’t valid. Celtic’s record is poor in player development achieving first team targets but there are mitigating circumstances.